Chapter 68
In a corner of the lower levels of HAO, Nakamoto Tsuyoshi’s red Apollyon, Anfangsrot, raises its hammer towards Urairo Aika 20 meters ahead. In the year 2060, he takes a step forward, cleaving through the upper level debris he himself destroyed.
While Nakamoto Tsuyoshi is a player, Urairo Aika is what’s known as an NPC in 2060. However, if only considering appearances, there’s not much difference – they look similar to how the two appeared in 2040. And now, these two stand opposed, split between the Orange side and the Reformists.
Urairo Aika speaks in an unreadable voice.
「…So you came, Tsu-chan.」
「Of course I did. Kōmitsu asked me to.」
「Even though it means being my enemy?」
「That’s a separate matter. I trust and have faith in Kanji. At least when it comes to changing the future.」
「This is the result of Orange spreading their scandal. Last time the Ark was protected, but now it’s already on the brink of ruin. Nothing improved and the future uselessly became citation data. How is that helping?!」
Anger filled Urairo Aika’s last words. Scratching his cheek in response, Nakamoto Tsuyoshi replies:
「I’m glad I met you. Looks like you’re managing well even without me around. Knowing that, I can die in peace during the 2055 operation.」
「Ngh!」
Her response is a conflagration. Flames far more widespread and high-powered than in their past battles lick at the earth. A range of several dozen meters is engulfed in fire, and metal touted for its heat resistance melts into a gooey mess. Shifting his stance at the sight of those flames – can they even be described as just 「high temperature」? – Anfangsrot activates its NMM and lands a distance away.
The distance between them increased, but Urairo Aika’s expression, a mix of anger and sorrow, is still clearly visible. The air behind her seems to waver even without heat. It’s as if the emotions pent up over the 12 years since Nakamoto Tsuyoshi disappeared exploded forth.
「Do you have any idea how I’ve felt these past 12 years?! A future that doesn’t exist, the man who left me behind. And because of you, my standing in the organization keeps getting worse! That’s why someone like Greg ended up as the leader!」
「My bad.」
「You think that one word makes up for it?! You knew I was an agent when I got close to you, but you pretended to be ignorant and toyed with me. I bet that was real fun for you, huh!」
Flames erupt again. The earth warps and melts, the floor crumbling to the lower levels from heat alone. The air temperature rises to the point it’s unbreathable, distorting the space. Even Anfangsrot, which should have dodged, takes a hit this time – the armor on its left arm melts, sloughs off, and solidifies.
《Console Information: This unit’s temperature has risen to 429°C. 571°C to overheat.》
And this scorching attack was a fatal one for an Apollyon. Not grazing, but the accumulated heat from the ambient temperature alone, plus the heat emitted by the NMM during emergency evasion, heats up the machine. That’s why if he doesn’t finish her off within the next few moves, all that awaits is death.
One more thing – she’s not achieving this firepower with her Esper abilities alone. Most likely it’s due to imaginary atomic complexes scattered in advance. By pre-positioning this compound that stably supplements her abilities, she achieves a range and power that forces the Apollyon into one-sided evasion.
Furthermore, at some point Urairo Aika donned a breathing mask. That mask, also seen in Ver1.08, is used to supply oxygen at normal temperatures. Looking closely, there’s a slight sheen on her face. She rubbed a transparent, heat-resistant gel into her skin to prevent it from evaporating from her own heat.
How much preparation is needed to confront the brink of death, to kill out of necessity? He doesn’t know what led the naive, inexperienced girl to this point, since he’s not 「synchronized」 with his past self, but Nakamoto Tsuyoshi can’t help but ponder it.
「I didn’t understand where you came from, but I noticed you were an agent. It was too abrupt. If it were some VIP then that would’ve been fine, but it was too clumsy for me.」
「Don’t grade me seriously here, I didn’t want to hear that.」
「My bad.」
「So don’t apologize to the enemy who came to kill you!」
He twists his body to dodge the third burst of flames as well. But finally, the hammer he was holding is swallowed by the flames, melting and warping like a candle. Discarding the now-useless weapon, Nakamoto Tsuyoshi still faces Urairo Aika. Lowering her stance slightly, she yells with a somewhat pleading expression:
「Pick up a weapon, you shit! Trash! Idiot! Moron! And…」
「Why I didn’t reject you even after realizing you were an agent? Well–」
In this situation, Nakamoto Tsuyoshi does the unthinkable. The most implausible action to take against someone who came to take your life. Something an Apollyon user must never do. He disembarks from the cockpit. Choking on the hot air but never taking his eyes off Urairo Aika. The red machine crouches down, its back opening with a hiss of gas, and Urairo Aika watches in a daze as Nakamoto Tsuyoshi emerges.
「It was love at first sight.」
「Huh?」
「It’s embarrassing to say. That’s probably why my past self never said it to the end. Putting on airs, acting all rational and brilliant – this is the answer coming from someone praised like that.」
After declaring that, he places the fingers of his right hand on the back of his left, performing some strange dance as if to hide his embarrassment. It’s the action Nakamoto Tsuyoshi made in life when seriously trying to conceal his shame. She definitely remembers him doing this motion when she tried to interrogate him before.
But Urairo Aika’s long association with him allows her to immediately see through to the truth of those words, and her thoughts fall into disarray. No, this won’t do. She can’t achieve her objective like this. She’s supposed to be the villain one-sidedly venting her grievances, and he’s supposed to be the righteous man getting angry at that. In the first place, Urairo Aika never for a moment thought there was any ill will in him accepting her as an agent. After all, Nakamoto Tsuyoshi is quite a good person, and it’s unthinkable for him to act out of malice.
Nakamoto Tsuyoshi advances. She could probably kill him in an instant if she unleashed her flames. That should be the immediate goal as a Reformist. But Urairo Aika’s own objective is still being neglected, and the effort she waited 20 years for seems about to vanish like a heat haze, just like these flames.
「Stay back, I’ll kill you! No matter your reasons, the fact that you interfered with me doesn’t change! I don’t need your atonement, just disappear already!」
A swarm of abusive language flies from Urairo Aika. Seeing that, Nakamoto Tsuyoshi narrows his eyes with a sigh.
「But still, you’re not saying you wish you never met me.」
「…!」
In the end, that was the crux of it.
「I don’t understand you. I logged in today and suddenly the Aika from 20 years later shows up. I don’t even have time to learn about your 20 years before the battle begins, and in a few hours this Ark will collapse and everything will end. It’s too sudden. That’s why your objective is–」
「Don’t say it!」
「To make me hate Aika and change the past. As an agent, you want us to walk separate paths in life – me as an Apollyon user. Am I wrong?」
In the first place, there’s no reason for Urairo Aika to remain in 2060. An agent doesn’t need to go that far, and considering the strength of her psychic powers, it would be more useful for her to participate in the 2055 operation. In other words, she intentionally survived and engineered this situation. Though she probably didn’t anticipate this time limit.
Urairo Aika slumps to the ground powerlessly. There’s nothing left to refute, but wanting him to understand, she opens her mouth.
「The one who really suffered was you, Tsu-chan. In the Scorch War, you sided with the Orange camp, and when it came out that I was an agent, you were walking on eggshells. Because of me, you lost even the title of strongest Apollyon user and were relegated to fringe battles. Kōmitsu and the others in the know covered for you, but suspicion from information leaks by other agents never cleared.」
「I see.」
「It’s my fault. The strongest Apollyon user disappeared because of me! So in order to begin the story anew, I have to erase the filth that is me…!」
That expression, 「filth,」 included her disgust towards the many things she did in the past as an agent. Too far from the ideal partner, too dirty, dragging him down, nothing but an interfering detriment. Bulky garbage that must be disposed of for the sake of the true story.
Urairo Aika hasn’t encountered Nakamoto Tsuyoshi since 2048. Thus, 12 years. She doesn’t even know what Nakamoto Tsuyoshi has thought of her since then. That’s why the fear in Urairo Aika swelled out of control. Maybe he resents her endlessly, maybe he thinks he wishes he never met her. Urairo Aika’s invectives were also the words she imagined Nakamoto Tsuyoshi saying to her.
So in order to cut off that delusion, Nakamoto Tsuyoshi rummages in his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. It’s something the Kōmitsu CEO in 2060, Tanaka, had tucked into Anfangsrot. To prove his identity, the handwritten letter bears countless traces of writing and scribbling out. It was hurriedly written upon miraculously getting the chance to meet CEO Tanaka before the 2055 operation, after being detained for years on charges of information leakage. The letter the CEO entrusted to the 2040 Nakamoto Tsuyoshi during Anfangsrot’s maintenance in 2060 ultimately contained just 3 lines.
「To Urairo Aika,
I love you.
Nakamoto Tsuyoshi」
「Ah–」
「I never wanted to experience the embarrassment of seeing my future self’s love letter in my whole life, but well, if it clears up the misunderstanding then even tha———!?」
As if interrupting Nakamoto Tsuyoshi’s attempt to hide his embarrassment, Urairo Aika leaps into his chest. Not even wearing powered armor, he’s easily pushed over, his back meeting the warm ground. Though their body heat is blocked, their hearts definitely connect. Urairo Aika’s abusive language was certainly also what she imagined Nakamoto Tsuyoshi saying to her. But those invectives never included the words 「I wish I never met you.」 In other words…
「Take good care of the foolish, idiotic ‘me,’ okay Tsu-chan? For me, the story is about to end.」
「Yeah, leave it to me. For me, the story is just beginning. She’ll probably tell me all about it too.」
They spend a little while together until the girl who drew this picture arrives. It’s what Urairo Aika couldn’t obtain for 12 years, and what she kept seeking.
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